Furlough change means no missed classes for students at Department of Defense schools

Students at Department of Defense schools won't miss five
days of school this year after the Pentagon said it is eliminating furloughs
for teachers and cutting the number for principal and other staff.

Under the 11-day furlough schedule, Department of Defense
Education Activity Schools were set to close for five days from the start of
school through the end of September.

"This means that DoDEA students will lose absolutely zero
days of classroom instruction due to this manufactured budget crisis," Federal
Education Association President Chuck McCarter said in a written statement.
"Losing classroom time at any point is something we can't afford, but losing it
at the start of the school year would have been especially harmful."

The Pentagon announced last week it was lowering the number of furlough days for civilian employees from 11 to 6.

The change eliminated furloughs for education employees, such as
teachers and aides, who work a 10-month schedule and were set to take five days of leave.

Employees who work 11 and 12
month schedules still face furloughs but, like other Pentagon civilian
employees, had that number cut to six. All furloughs for DOD workers began July
8. With the cut to the total number, most workers will finish their furloughs
by mid-August.

DODEA operates schools at Fort Rucker and Maxwell Air Force
Base. Fort Rucker Primary and Elementary Schools have a combined 729 students.
Maxwell's Elementary and Middle School serves as some 395 students in grades
Pre-K through eighth. The activity serves more than 84,000 students at nearly
200 schools in seven states, Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico and 12 countries.